


Unrequited Love On The Sea

by orphan_account



Series: Sunshine doesn't like Rain and Luffy doesn't Hate much [7]
Category: One Piece
Genre: (thought to be) unrequited love, Gen, Law gets flustered, Luffy pays attention to what Law wears more than Law does, M/M, Piercings are involved, you know Robin's listening somewhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:31:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6387970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Law feels the prickle on the back of his neck, the feeling of someone staring burning into his skin. He sighs, sitting down his instrument of writing and scooting his chair out to see exactly why he's being stared at, what greets him is familiar. "What, Straw Hat?"</p>
<p>The teen perched on Law's bed, hands on his crossed knees with his dark eyes staring owlishly back, finally blinks at the acknowledgement of his... observing. "Sorry!" Luffy 'apologizes', rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly like he's done thousands of times before. If not millions; Law's only been with this crew for the journey in the New World, anything that happened before is an estimation.</p>
<p>"You just," the teen struggles to find words, noticeable by the furrow in his eyebrows, rocking back and forth and gazing at the floor thoughtfully. "Look different, s'all."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unrequited Love On The Sea

~~~~Law feels the prickle on the back of his neck, the feeling of someone staring burning into his skin. He sighs, sitting down his instrument of writing and scooting his chair out to see exactly why he's being stared at, what greets him is familiar. "What, Straw Hat?"

The teen perched on Law's bed, hands on his crossed knees with his dark eyes staring owlishly back, finally blinks at the acknowledgement of his... observing. "Sorry!" Luffy 'apologizes', rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly like he's done thousands of times before. If not millions; Law's only been with this crew for the journey in the New World, anything that happened before is an estimation.

"You just," the teen struggles to find words, noticeable by the furrow in his eyebrows, rocking back and forth and gazing at the floor thoughtfully. "Look different, s'all."

Law quirks a brow, he knows that his outfits have changed since Dressrosa -hell, since Sabaody- but only his clothes.

The hat sitting on his head, spotted and proud, reminds him that maybe more than just his shirt and pants have changed.

(Maybe even he's changed since two years ago.)

Before he can ask why that would invoke a long 'observation', fuck it, why that would cause a long _staring_ , the teen's speaking again, straw hat tilting down slightly, eyebrows furrowed and lips in a pout looking... not adorable.

Law tries to convince himself of this, hoping that the lump in his throat disappears.

"Those ring thingies that you 'n Zoro have? You took yours out."

_Ah._

Law lightly touches one ear, the familiar smoothness of his piercings no longer there. He was only going to leave them out tonight, something that he wouldn't usually do, but they've been feeling sore as of late.

"Which is stupid 'cause they look cool and Torao doesn't look right without them." Luffy looks up, pouting with scolding eyes, appearing slighted at the action apparently against him.

Law smirks, hands settling on his knees, "Oh? But I thought it was my choice, Straw Hat." The surgeon teases, trying to gauge a reaction.

Luffy shakes his head, saying that: _No, Torao doesn't get to make that decision_ , and that, _no, he can't change his appearance without consulting him first_. Well, not in those exact words.

Law briefly feels the urge to protest at the insistence that he can't change his appearance without consent from the straw hat wearing madman. Instead, he continues to smirk with clear amusement that his fellow captain doesn't seem to notice.

"Torao can't change his stuff! Or he'll look stupid!" Luffy's hands are thrown up, his eyes wide and owlish once again. "And weird!"

Law feels his eyebrow twitch, smirk faltering slightly at the unintentional (maybe intentional, one can never predict Straw Hat on some things) insult at his choice of clothing.

"I don't look stupid, Straw-Hatter."

"Yes you do!"

"Don't."

"Do!"

"Don't."

"Do!"

Law scowls, eyes meeting his idiotic ally who stares stubbornly back.

"I don't look stupid, Straw Hat."

At an outraged cry of: "Uh huh!" Law's amusement quickly fades to annoyance as he narrows his gaze. "Straw Hat-"

"It makes Torao not as pretty!" Luffy pipes in, unabashed.

_What..._

Law feels the tips of his ears burn, swallowing as his cheeks gain a similar color. Being called 'pretty' is one thing that someone hasn't said to him before. The main reasoning, not that Straw Hat could understand the word, is that he's a man and men are generally called handsome. Pretty isn't a word he thought he would ever be called.

"Straw-Hatter -" Law tries to interrupt, lest a comeback and clear avoidance of this situation will become impossible.

"And 'cause I like how Traffy looks with the ear thingies." Straw Hat's eyes are as bright as his smile, staring back at him.

Face now burning, Law opens his mouth and finds that words aren't forming; the effect of being shocked speechless. His eyes find the floor, while he hears sandals hitting the surface, which almost draws his attention to the owner of the sandals.

The large X on Straw Hat's chest fill Law's line of sight. The scarred skin is faded from the dark red it was in Amazon Lily, when flesh was wrapped away in the whiteness of bandages and covered in grief.

"Shishishi~" Law keeps his stare leveled, cheeks burning as Straw Hat's warm presence and laugh drifts over him, before he feels fingers ghost against his ear lobe. His eyes widen, barely keeping himself from jumping slightly at the unexpected feeling.

Straw Hat's fingertips pass over the punctures where his piercings usually occupy.

"It makes Torao look like Torao."

Law's heart thuds rapidly against his chest, like the mantras the church in Flevance used to sing, with lyrics drifting through the air and melodies echoing down the vast halls and past the large entrance. He takes in the detail of his flooring, neck feeling stiff at trying not to look up, reminding himself of silly first crushes and of how the sound of your heart thrums in your ears and against your chest, your cheeks burn and palms sweat, trying not to look at their faces or you would die of embarrassment.

Because if Law did look up, he doesn't like to think about Straw Hat's dark eyes with hidden brown widening, about how Straw Hat wouldn't expect to feel lips on his, about how Luffy wouldn't expect the Surgeon of Death to grip his red vest like a lifeline, tattooed knuckles turning a paler color.

Especially how Law wouldn't be able to stop his desire to delve his tongue into Straw Hat's happily smiling mouth because of not having the chance (how it was over before it began) last time in Dressrosa. About how Straw Hat wouldn't expect his surgeon hands to venture, tracing the large X, only briefly -enough to send a shiver down his own spine at the messed up skin beneath his fingertips- before he would delve past Straw Hat's blue shorts and boxers- if Straw Hat wears any that is.

Law's never been with a man before, left out that experimentation in favor of big breasts and curves; of medical books; the easiest squeezes; and endless nights full of nightmares fueling his desire to take down the bane of his existence.

He knows that he wouldn't be able to stop until Straw Hat was a used up mess, with bites down his neck and across his shoulders. Law knows that he wouldn't stop until Straw Hat knew about how long he had waited and wanted. He wouldn't stop until the feeling in his chest -the aching and pounding- would.

Until Straw Hat was his as much as he can be.

(He's bitter, wanting Straw Hat to love him in the same ways; until Straw Hat could feel the want, until he knew how it feels to have his heart swell in itself at the stupidest of things -about how it's hard to breathe sometimes- until Straw Hat knew that the sound of his heartbeat can be like shaming thunder.)

On the other hand, he doesn't like to think about the possibility of being pushed away, of Straw Hat's bewildered questioning or angry dark eyes and the questions never going to be answered. The loss of closeness.

Law doesn't think his ally would stop being his friend, or his nakama -Straw Hat's not like that- but there would be a rift that would feel like a gap or distance, the feeling of being millions of miles away with just one space.

He compares the feeling to seeing Straw Hat in Marineford, beaten, scarred, not right around the edges anymore. Straw Hat's limp body and oozing wound clear while being carried by Jinbei and the need to be closer, needing to hustle Straw Hat away from deaths cold and unforgiving hands which know sympathy, but know when to take, even if begged not to.

Law didn't care at that time about Monkey D. Luffy, about that crazy and idiotic fool from the auction house that challenged the unchallenged and won yet lost. He cared about himself and how letting the teen die would be a crime, and about how it could benefit him later; using the too trusting (not that he knew at the time) captain to his advantage.

(A smaller voice whispers about how _saving Straw Hat Luffy would get his name in history books, as the man who defied death's cold hands and pulled the damned back from the other side_.)

(Leaving out the admiration for someone who would defy the world to save a brother, who wasn't a _brother_.)

"And I like how Torao is! Even if he doesn't always share his meat or play with us... Or when he gets all boring and serious sometimes." Straw Hat continues, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

Law narrows his eyes at the floor, calculating that the part of being serious is probably his constant planning that Straw Hat never pays attention to, in favor of diving head-first into danger like the idiot he is.

"'Cause you are." Straw Hat's eyes are on him, he can feel it, just knows it. Law swallows, fighting the urge to fidget, something he hasn't done since Cora-san scolded him for almost burning his hand when he dozed to close to the fire, the idiot.

"I wasn't taking them out for good, Straw Hat," Law interrupts, meeting Luffy's eyes, while his hands clench on his knees, not knowing exactly why he's telling Straw Hat this. "I was only leaving them out for tonight."

Straw Hat's mouth forms an 'O', before his bright smile's back and he's rubbing his neck, eyes closed and snickering. "Oops. Sorry! Shishishi~"

Law feels the color in his face dim slightly. "So you find me, 'pretty', Straw Hat?" he asks, trying to turn the conversation around to his advantage.

Luffy's cheeks, surprisingly, have a pink tint while he snickers. "Yep!"

Law's smirk fades, words dying on his tongue before a frown tilts down his lips. He doesn't bother to answer, turning back around, letters and small maps laid out on his desk while he listens to Straw Hat's snickers lower to nothing while words are at the front of his mind, begging to be written.

Luffy's stare is on his back again, like only minutes before. "I'll have them back in before midnight, Straw Hat."

It's quiet after that.

Law's letters curve while hoping that the stare leaves him, and that Straw Hat leaves while counting the minutes it will  take.

"Okay." It's said quiet, unlike Straw Hat's usual unabashed words, causing Law to think about Marineford's bell ringing as a new era was declared, and about how Straw Hat's lips are probably weighed down.

Sandals hit the floor, quietly this time, and Law feels Straw Hat's eyes on his back. He counts Straw Hat's footsteps toward the exit, ( _1, 2, 3..._ ) before Luffy hesitates at the door. The infamous Surgeon Of Death can feel his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth while his heart beats thunder in his chest.

It feels like somethings going unsaid, and Law's reminded of snow and a _smile that doesn't fit_.

To his relief, the door shuts closed. Law stops counting Straw Hat's footsteps as they disappear down the hall. He leans back in his chair and breathes, head tilted up at the ceiling as his eyes trace the mistakes and his fingers interlace in his lap.

A minute passes.

Law closes his eyes, _"Amour non réciproque..."_ his lips lift in bitterness, and the room whispers in silence.

_"Luffy-ya."_

**Author's Note:**

> *Amour non réciproque means: One way love.
> 
> Please leave kudos and comments!


End file.
